You can reach Levi by email at levi.lamoreaux@myldsmail.net
Levi's Quest in Argentina will soon be coming to a close. Levi will be returning home on July 6, 2011 after serving an unforgettable journey throughout the countryside surrounding Cordoba, Argentina.

Monday, April 19, 2010

A Week Full of Travel

This week involved a lot of traveling. I was in Merlo last Monday and returned to Villa Dolores Tuesday only to board another bus for five hours to make my way to the city for zone conference. I stayed the night in Arguello and got to hear about the members and investigators and hang with Elder Haacke a little bit. It was fun and a little weird being back. Then the next morning Elder Bushnell and I went to zone conference. It was a good conference and I learned a lot. After conference and we get back to the bus terminal to go home we find out the only bus leaving for Villa Dolores was leaving at 11:30...it wasn't even nine. So we had to just chill in the terminal for awhile but I ran into a familiar face. Some young members came and starting talking to us. One of them looked very familiar. I asked him where he was from. He is from Oncativo. He is the branch president's son who was serving in Texas while I was there. That was pretty cool.

Every Thursday we eat lunch with an inactive member. He asked us what we learned in ZC. The first thing that came to my mind was journal writing of all things (Sis Olsen told us to write in our journals). Just saying journal writing sparked a big gospel conversation and he agreed to having us come and visit with him and his nonmember wife for a family home evening. Way capo.

Funny side story in Córdoba city. The bus terminal is downtown. There is a Subway restaurant there, and five of the six elders in our district wanted Subway and I knew where it was since I've had the privilege to spend a little time there (unlike the other five). We get to Subway and the two men working starting saying the ingredients in English as I would ask for something. "Quiero queso," "Cheese" like that, so I thought they spoke English. I said something I do not remember what in English and they both just stared completely perplexed and stopped saying ingredients in English.

As for Merlo, it was us four missionaries from Villa Dolores. Merlo is a hardcore tourist town so it was like money. I had the best pizza of my life (which I never ever would have guessed would happen in Argentina).

And yeah next time you hear from me by email and the next time you hear my voice I'll be twenty. Pretty sweet, and weird. I am not ready to be an adult, after the mission I wanna be eighteen again.

So work wise, we found a couple new people even with our couple days of travels. And that's my updates.

I love you all and I'll write you when I'm twenty years old.

Chao,

ELMX

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Saw More of Argentina

More about Argentina:

I eat the same food here as everywhere fried chicken and pasta. Argentina does not like cooking complex meals or anything that takes time...with the exception of ñoquis (pronounced nyokee). It is mashed potatoes then mixed with flour and rolled into noodles and eaten with some sort of pasta sauce. They are wayy good and in my top three favorite foods. Not only are they good but the twenty ninth of every month is ñoquis day and I plan on continuing this tradition in our family and after the appropriate amount of years in my own (I just trying to freak you out Mom, your son is almost twenty and one day you'll be a grandmother).We have lunch probably three/four times a week with members (dinner is eaten at nine or later, when we are supposed to be home).

And I am pretty close to a mountain. I hiked up a lil mountain today. I am actually in a town called Merlow for the day which is out of the Córdoba province but too far from the Mendoza mission so it's in my district, and it is at the foot of a mountain.Well Villa Dolores is still moving really slow. We have nobody and I do all I can and the work is still moving nowhere. However, a new member moved to our ward from Buenos Aires who I truly feel is going to help the branch. They were temple workers back in BA and have tremendous faith so I'm hoping things can pick up soon.

According to the elders in the office my package is waiting at customs to be picked up, which means I am going to have to pay to get it out, but I don't know how much yet. I have zone conference this week so I'll be doing some travel and losing a working day and a half but I still wanna get out and find some people and help the branch.

Thanks for the updates on everyone. Sorry I don't have too much to update, hopefully next week will be full of good news!

Love you all so much. Take care and have a good week.

Chao,ELMX

Monday, April 5, 2010

Happy Easter!

Villa Dolores is verryyy different from Argüello. It is going to be difficult just as President Olsen had warned me. I came into an area with no investigators or animo (animo doesn't really exist in English but enthusiasm would be the closest thing) or members with desires to help or even come to church. There are about three hundred members in this area and about twenty to thirty in church each week. Our two former branch presidents don't even come to church, so there is a lot of work cut out for me, but I'm still loving it and excited to turn things around. We did find a couple people to teach during the week and one of them came to conference along with an inactive member we met with. Yup all four of us missionaries live together and we get along super well. It's cool having another Elder from the valley we know all the same local bands and know some of the same people, and the other two are great as well.

My favorite talks from conference include President Uchtdorf (on patience) and President Eyrings (on diligence and accomplishing what the Lord expects of you, probably my fav) from Priesthood session. I also enjoyed Pres Eyring's talk from Saturday and Elder Bednar and Elder Holland (I suggest watching Elder Holland's, not reading it). Sunday afternoon there was a way good one on mothers :) and just to let you know all five sessions were almost entirely about families and their duties and their importance and all that. I think it's incredible that no subjects are assigned yet the talks, their themes, and the songs all coordinate together to make--as Elder Andersen put it Sunday afternoon--"a beautiful symphony of revelation".

So my week consisted of getting to know the area, the missionaries, the members, and trying to get to know my neighbors (btw we are gringos, under us extremely odd old man, to the right a gay couple, to the left a blind couple, we are an interesting stretch of houses).

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers, for your love, for your support, for the nineteen years I had at home to learn from all of you (big theme from conference: teaching in the home). Cuidense mucísimo. Les amo. Hasta luego.

Chao,

ELMX